IMATS 2010 coverage + Highlights

 I had one of the greatest weekend ever! Full of bloggers, vloggers, make-up & seminars. An IMATS Toronto weekend!
This year I went on both Saturdays and Sunday and I'm so happy because I have no regrets. I made great purchases both days and met amazing people.

Day one started off great I got there early and made my way to join the ever growing line.
As soon as the doors opened girls started to bolt to the Makeup Forever booth. Yes you heard me "bolt" rumors of long line up triggered me to join in on the action. I researched online and knew exactly what I wanted.
This year the venue was much better and the deals were pretty good....but I still shopped around to find out what booth had the better deals.The best brush selection & prices in my option was Royal & Langnickel for brush sets. The variety in the sets were a steal for the price.
For individual brushes the most popular booth was of course Crown brushes. I think the main reason for the is the gurus & bloggers who rave about them!
New to IMATS this year was NYX. They had a massive booth right in the middle. It had great selection and the individuals who worked there were quite helpful.They had a few males there who knew the products better than I did.
I was very excited to see the OCC cosmetics booth. I have been dreaming about lip tars since seeing them in YT videos & blog sites. I'm happy that I got to swatch them and play with the different colors. There is no way to describe them other than pigmented. Also a little bit goes a long way.

Through out the whole day I saw girls who were sporting pretty glitter liner. I inquired where they got it and I was directed to Eye Candy Cosmetics! Yana and I decided to get our eyes done.



I met Debbie from FACEateiler last year at IMATS. This year she gave me a sneak peak of the products that are coming out in 2011. I`m very excited for a blush called tangerine which she demonstrated on me! Definitely WOC friendly.


I got my first airbrushed face from Dinar. Loved it!


As a makeup artist I am always looking for ways to refine and improve my technique. IMATS had a lot of great seminars. This year I made sure I attended more than one.

Kevin-James Bennett gave us get tips on brushes & products for our kit. My favorite tip I received was about how he uses primers to reduce the consistency of cream foundations! Brilliant. Watch the video below for highlights.
Nadine Luke from MAC gave us a back stage pass on fall/winter trends. The model she used was extremely gorgeous and the gloss look is fab.Watch the video below for highlights.


Wanda from Cover FX talked about the art of concealing! Concealing is important if you want to be able to work with a flawless canvas. If your unfamiliar with Cover FX, click here to learn more.

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Through out the day I had the chance to meet these amazing people!


This post is long, so I will post my haul in another post! Overall I had a great time and I can't wait until IMATS 2011.

Helpful IMATS Tips!

IMATS is here!! November 6 & 7 at Toronto Congress Centre.
This is my second time going and I have some helpful tips that may help a newbie!

Quick Navigation:
Click here for Tickets
Click here for Exhibitor List
Click here for Travel Help
Click here for Schedule

IMATS Tip 1:
Shop your stash!
Find out what you need and want to get before you go. This eliminates coming home disappointed.

IMATS Tip 2:
Bring Cash!
This helps you to budget your purchases and save!

IMATS Tip 3:
Follow MakeupArtistmag & other exhibitors on twitter/facebook!
They usually tweet/facebook the deals their bringing to IMATS. Perfect for planning head!

IMATS Tip 4:
Know the schedules of the presenters.
Last thing you want to do is miss an presentation! I'd advise you to print it out or save it on your phone.

IMATS Tip 5:
Have fun and meet new people!
Last year I met some amazing girls and I know I will again this year :)

Burt's Bee Skincare Haul + New My Skincare Regime

Right now my skin sucks. It goes to periods where it's clear for two weeks then a hot mess for the remaining two weeks. I really need to control this because everyone knows bad skin is definitely a confidence breaker :(

I started to breakout at 21. My teenage years were pimple free but I wish this was something I skipped altogether....


After a few weeks I decided to get the whole Burt's Bee Anti-Blemish Solution a try. The important ingredient is the Willow Bark Extract: This extract contains natural Beta Hydroxy Acids, which work as a natural skin exfoliants to help unplug follicles and pores.Salicylic Acid occurs naturally in the bark of the Black Willow tree (Salix nigra).


I start off my day by using the Purifying Daily Cleanser:

This cleanser is clinically proven to help wash away blemish causing bacteria, excess oil and impurities without over-drying or irritating skin.

This cleanser is very "watery" not thick but it lathers up nice.

Two to Three days a week I use the pore refining scrub.

This deep cleansing scrub is clinically proven to exfoliate dead skin cells while refining the appearance of pores without over-drying or irritating skin.


I use the Targeted Spot Treatment instead of the toner.

This natural spot treatment is clinically proven to help reduce and improve the appearance of blemishes without irritating skin.





Daily Moisturizing Lotion

This natural light weight lotion is clinically proven to protect against blemishes without irritating skin.







Hopefully, my skin will clear up soon after using this regime. I will be updating you all on my progress.

OOTD: Simple but Flashy Casual Wear

I had to come up with a random title that explained this outfit. I think Simple but Flashy Casual Wear will suffice...LOL
Breakdown:
Sweater H&M $7.00 (sale)
Rose Ring Ardene $3.33 (sale)
Jeans Marshalls $9.99

It's freezing outside! I think everyone's first priority is to stay warm but there's always fun ways to do it. Simple but flashy sweaters allow me to stand out and apart from boring sweaters.

Oh yea here is a close up of the jeans. I like the contrast of the yellow thread on dark denim.
I promise to post more OOTD. It's just difficult because I don't have a photographer.. just a tripod lol.

IMATS Free Shuttle bus for Toronto

 Hi Ladies,


IMATS Toronto is coming up this weekend. I'm excited to see my new and old TBB faces. Also some beauty bloggers from U.S.A and other parts of Canada will be in attendance. After speaking to a few girls on twitter, I realized that transportation is an issue.

IMATS came up with an amazing idea to have a  free shuttle bus from Union station for both days! You can get to Union station using the TTC and GO Transit.

The Manhattan Livery Service shuttle will pick up in front of The Fairmont Royal York hotel (100 Front Street West), across from Union Station, and drop you off at the Toronto Congress Centre.

Sat., Nov. 6 Shuttle Service
From Fairmont Royal York to Toronto Congress Centre: 7:45 a.m. and 9 a.m.
From Toronto Congress Centre to Fairmont Royal York: 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Sun., Nov. 7 Shuttle Service
From Fairmont Royal York to Toronto Congress Centre: 9:15 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
From Toronto Congress Centre to Fairmonth Royal York: 4:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

I will be on the 7:45 shuttle bus on Sat. Nov 6 : D, So please say hi if you see me.